Sustainability Report 2011

The ITC Code of Conduct, as adopted by the Board of Directors, is applicable to Directors, senior management and employees of the Company. This Code is derived from three interlinked fundamental principles, viz. good corporate governance, good corporate citizenship and exemplary personal conduct. The Code covers ITC’s commitment to sustainable development, concern for occupational health, safety and environment, a gender friendly workplace, transparency and auditability, legal compliance, and the philosophy of leading by personal example. Any instance of non-adherence to the Code or any other observed unethical behaviour on the part of those covered under the Code is to be brought to the attention of the immediate reporting authority, who, in turn, should report the same to the Head of Corporate Human Resources. The Code is available on the Company’s corporate website.

ITC has a Code of Conduct for Prevention of Insider Trading (‘ITC Code’) in the securities of the Company. The ITC Code, inter alia, prohibits purchase/sale of securities of the Company by directors and employees while in possession of unpublished price sensitive information in relation to the Company. The ITC Code is available on the Company’s corporate website.

ITC’s Mission is to sustain and enhance the wealth-generating capacity of its portfolio of businesses in a progressively globalising environment. As one of India’s premier corporations employing a vast quantum of societal resources, ITC seeks to fulfil a larger role by enlarging its contribution to the society of which it is a part. The trusteeship role related to social and environmental resources, aligned to the pursuit of economic objectives, is the cornerstone of ITC’s Environment, Health and Safety philosophy. ITC’s EHS philosophy cognises for the twin needs of conservation and creation of productive resources.

In the multi-business context of ITC, Corporate Strategies are designed to create enduring value for the nation and the shareholder, through leadership in each business and the attainment of world-class competitive capabilities across the value chain. The objective of leadership extends to all facets of business operations including Environment, Health and Safety.

ITC is, therefore, committed to conducting its operations with due regard for the environment, and providing a safe and healthy workplace for each employee. Various international and national awards and accreditations stand testimony to ITC’s commitment to EHS. Such external recognition further reinforces the need to direct the collective endeavour of the Company’s employees at all levels towards sustaining and continuously improving standards of Environment, Health and Safety in a bid to attain and exceed benchmarked standards, whether regulatory or otherwise.

In particular, it is ITC’s EHS policy- To contribute to sustainable development through the establishment and implementation of environment standards that are scientifically tested and meet the requirement of relevant laws, regulations and codes of practice.

	To take account of environment, occupational health and safety in planning and decision-making.
	To provide appropriate training and disseminate information to enable all employees to accept individual responsibility for Environment, Health and Safety, implement best practices, and work in partnership to create a culture of continuous improvement.
	To instil a sense of duty in every employee towards personal safety, as well as that of others who may be affected by the employee’s actions.
	To provide and maintain facilities, equipment, operations and working conditions which are safe for employees, visitors and contractors at the Company’s premises.
	To ensure safe handling, storage, use and disposal of all substances and materials that are classified as hazardous to health and environment.
	To reduce waste, conserve energy, and promote recycling of materials wherever possible.
	To institute and implement a system of regular EHS audit in order to assure compliance with laid down policy, benchmarked standards, and requirements of laws, regulations and applicable codes of practice.
	To proactively share information with business partners towards inculcating world-class EHS standards across the value chain of which ITC is a part.

All employees of ITC are expected to adhere to and comply with the EHS Policy and Corporate Standards on EHS.

ITC’s EHS Policy extends to all sites of the Company. It will be the overall responsibility of the Divisional/SBU Chief Executives, through the members of their Divisional Management Committees, General Managers and Unit Heads, to ensure implementation of this Policy and Corporate Standards on EHS, including formation of various committees and designating individuals for specific responsibilities in respect of their Division/SBU.

The Corporate EHS Department is responsible for reviewing and updating Corporate Standards on EHS, and for providing guidance and support to all concerned.